Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s Forum Threads

This nomination has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/495

These two nominations have been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/493

https://metal.academy/hall/494

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/485

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/484

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/483

These two nominations have been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/481

https://metal.academy/hall/482

OK, thanks Daniel.

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/480

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/477

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/476

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/474

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/473

I have to admit that I don't see it personally. I'd argue that it's potentially more of a post-hardcore release than it is a metal one with post-hardcore covering the more expansive material.

This nomination has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/472

OK, thanks Daniel.

Here's my review:

I stumbled over the debut album from Texas' Embodyment around 15 years ago while desperately trying to catch up on all of the great death metal releases I'd missed out on during my self-imposed, decade-long hiatus from the metal scene. "Embrace The Eternal" was reasonably well thought of in death metal circles at the time but Embodyment's remaining back catalogue seemed to be frowned upon for reasons I was unaware of so I went into the album with an open mind. I was also unaware of the links with Christianity & the early deathcore scene that now permeate the release & I honestly don't recall thinking I'd discovered the building blocks of a new genre with that experience either so this month's feature release nomination represents a good chance to reassess that position, particularly given the strong statements from our resident The Revolution devotee Andi.

"Embrace The Eternal" is a well-produced & executed record from a band that were already well in control of their chosen instruments. In fact, they can occasionally be guilty of being a little TOO precise to be honest as the weaker moments on the album do tend to sound like they're in autopilot & lacking a bit of electricity. The clinical production is led by a particularly clicky kick-drum so if that element is something you usually struggle with then I'd perhaps give this release a wide birth. In saying that though, current Living Sacrifice drummer Mark Garza is arguably the highlight of the record with his super-precise performance giving Embodyment a particularly solid platform to work off. I mean, clicky kick drums can be very unforgiving at times but here we see Garza pulling everything off effortlessly. Front man Kris McCaddon's contribution isn't your average deep death metal or deathcore growl though. Instead, we see him sporting a screamier approach that sits right at the mid-point between Carcass' Jeff Walker & the classic metalcore delivery. He tends to be a bit of a one-trick pony on the evidence here too as he really does stick to the one thing the whole way through the album's duration.

Now for the elephant in the room... Despite "Embrace The Eternal" being claimed as one of the founding releases for the deathcore genre, I have to question that consensus. You see, there is nothing terribly unusual or original here from an instrumental point of view. This is purely a death metal record from that perspective with Suffocation being the primary source of inspiration. As someone that absolutely worshipped (& at times sought to emulate) that wonderful band, it's really obvious that Embodyment were also bowing down at the altar of "Effigy of the Forgotten", even if they do tend to shy away from Suffocation's more technical side & aren't nearly as brutal. The regular use of breakdowns is certainly worth mentioning but they don't seem to be drawn from the hardcore scene as far as I can tell, instead being borrowed from the early slam death metal one. Unlike Suffocation though, Embodyment's death metal sound has as much to do with your classic old-school death metal model as it does with the brutal death metal one & you should be able to pick up the influence of bands like Morbid Angel at times too. Then during the second half of the album we start to see some more diverse influences seeping in with the odd Fear Factory groove or jumpy Korn-style nu metal section appearing. While that idea might not sound all that appealing on paper, Embodyment seem to have the class to pull it off nonetheless. It's really just the vocals that draw upon hardcore for inspiration though as the instrumentation can basically be summarized under the death metal banner &, even then, McCaddon's tone isn't even close to the super-gutteral, ultra-deep death growl employed by most deathcore front men these days. Therefore, I struggle to see how "Embrace The Eternal" is a seminal deathcore release to be honest. If it's just the vocals that draw it into that space then Carcass' "Heartwork" would surely suffer the same fate & that idea certainly isn't on the table.

With that said, "Embrace The Eternal" is a very solid extreme metal album in its own right with no weak tracks included. There's a clear consistency to the ten songs & the Christian lyrical content will have absolutely no impact on you unless you go out of your way to investigate what McCaddon is going on about. I personally choose not to & are much better off for it given my strong feelings about organised religion in general. I'd recommend that our The Horde members leave any preconceived notions at the door & give "Embrace The Eternal" a chance to win them over because it's really a very solid first-up effort & one that will have you pondering over how Embodyment's next record could possibly fall into the realm of our The Gateway clan.

4/5

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

1. Gateway playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 15)

2. Infinite playlist - 4.5/5 (number of songs commented: 8)

3. Revolution playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 26)

4. Sphere playlist - 4/5 (number of songs commented: ALL 26)

For the clans I've made the monthly playlists for, I've listened to the entire playlists! I'm grateful to Saxy and Daniel for their playlist works. I really dig the tracks I've reviewed in the Gateway and Infinite playlists made by Saxy, and I'm glad the playlists I've made have paid off. I recommend them to any fan of the clans' respective genres and anyone who isn't into those genres but wants to get into a great start in enjoying them. Thanks, Daniel, for accepting these playlists, and good work all!

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

I've done my review, here's its summary:

It's strange how Mushroomhead is part of the nu/alt-metal pack but has never gained the huge success many of their other peers have gained. Nonetheless, this band has a large fanbase that barely of those other bands have. The dedication fans have for Mushroomhead is a good reason for their 3-decade existence at this point, and why open-minded metalheads, such as myself, have no trouble at all with albums like this one, The Righteous and the Butterfly! Following up from the heavy Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children, the industrial-ish nu/alt-metal blend of brutality and beauty still stands in this album. The Righteous and the Butterfly introduces two new members, guitarist Tommy Church and bassist Ryan "Dr. F" Farrell. Jason "J Mann" Popson returns on vocal duties to make a 3-vocalist lineup (or 4 if including their later vocalist Jackie Laponza who guest appears in one song here). The title pays tribute to two longtime contributors who passed away in the years leading up to this album, former guitarist JJ Righteous and band photographer Vanessa Solowiow (drummer Skinny's wife). RIP... Some tracks look back at the different past eras of Mushroomhead and summarize all that they're known for, while other songs add in different stylistic elements for something new, either way spawning some of my favorite songs from the band such as "Qwerty" (which my brother likes as well) and their cover of Adele's "Rumor Has It". It's no rumor that awesome cover is what got me into this band. Incredible! All in all, Mushroomhead have their strongest album since XIII in The Righteous and the Butterfly, nicely improved from the albums in between. Both longtime fans and newcomers will love this righteous album, essential for any nu/alt-metal fans' collection!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Our Apologies", "Qwerty", "Portraits of the Poor", "This Cold Reign", "For Your Pleasure", "Out of My Mind", "Rumor Has It"

For fans of: Linkin Park's nu metal albums, Rob Zombie, Slipknot

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Bad Omens, Poppy - "V.A.N." from V.A.N. (2024)

5/5. The playlist begins with a kick-A collab between Bad Omens and Poppy. To paraphrase part of the first verse, it gets more powerful every minute. Although Poppy's vocals are both beautiful and wicked, it would've been nice to hear from Bad Omens vocalist Noah Sebastian as well, but the song is still perfect. The lyrics are so disturbing yet intriguing ("Isn't it strange to create something that hates you?" "I AM DEATH AND I AM NOT ALONE!!!!").

Gothminister - "Dark Salvation" from Empire of Dark Salvation (2005)

5/5. This one opens the playlist big, really big, after that Bad Omens/Poppy prologue.

Deathstars - "All the Devil's Toys" from The Perfect Cult (2014)

4.5/5. Another cool cyber/industrial metal song. What else to say?

Nailbomb - "Vai toma no cu" from Point Blank (1994)

4/5. This one's also great in the instrumentation.

Lord of the Lost - "Blood & Glitter" from Blood & Glitter (2022)

3.5/5. I applaud this song representing Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, though it could've been done better.

Marilyn Manson - "Tourniquet" from Antichrist Superstar (1996)

3/5. This one is OK, but let's hope for some more madness in this playlist...

Rammstein - "Morgenstern" from Reise, Reise (2004)

3/5. This seems wonderful, but it's not really the best I've heard from Rammstein.

Genitorturers - "Devil in a Bottle" from Blackheart Revolution (2009)

3.5/5. This one totally rocks out with its Rob Zombie vibe and makes up a lot for the previous songs' fails.

Rob Zombie - "The Satanic Rites of Blacula" from The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021)

4/5. Speaking of Rob Zombie... Da da da-da-da, da da da-da-da! H*ll, this sounds good and catchy, though a bit Satanic.

Godflesh - "Shut Me Down" from A World Lit Only by Fire (2014)

4.5/5. I like the shuffled rhythm in this one. Light it up, Godflesh!

AP2 - "The Pact" from Suspension of Disbelief (2000)

5/5. My favorite song in this AP2 album is a softer industrial rock/metal track with no lyrics, only Indian-style chanting by vocalist Sage. That and the catchy pop-ish tone might remind some of The Prayer Chain, and the song shows actions can sing louder than words.

Pain - "Go With the Flow" from Go With the Flow (2024)

5/5. Incredible track from Pain's upcoming album I Am! This could get a lengthy extension and I would still enjoy it.

Peace, Love & Pitbulls - "Kemikal" from 3 (1997)

4.5/5. An amazing NIN-like song with good vocals, that should've ended up in a Resident Evil soundtrack.

Fear Factory - "Hatred Will Prevail (Monolith Remix)" from Recoded (2022)

4/5. A killer remix of "Monolith", done by session member Rhys Fulber who's best known as a member of Front Line Assembly. I enjoy the vocals at the end.

Mushroomhead - "Just Pretending" from Savior Sorrow (2006)

4.5/5. Horns up to this wicked track that makes me up to reviewing Mushroomhead's discography leading up to this month's feature release.

In This Moment - "Sanctify Me" from Godmode (2023)

5/5. Maria Brink can really scream in the verses of this powerful highlight.

Author & Punisher - "Misery" from Krüller (2022)

4.5/5. Drone-ish industrial metal misery. Next!

Scum of the Earth - "Born Again Masochist" from The Devil Made Me Do It (2012)

4/5. F***ing h*ll, this band can blend metal and dubstep seamlessly after Korn's attempt to do that in The Path of Totality. Mike Riggs' creativity shines like a motherf***er.

ASP - "The Shadows Beneath the Roots" from Horrors - A Collection Of Gothic Novellas (2023)

3.5/5. Here's some dark Neue Deutsche Härte like a more gothic Rammstein. I still can't get the appeal of that subgenre though.

Treponem Pal - "Crazy Woman" from Screamers (2023)

4/5. Another song I like. I like this "Crazy, Crazy Woman".

Emigrate - "In My Tears" from Emigrate (2007)

4.5/5. Another cool song from this Rammstein side-project.

D'espairsRay - "Marry of the Blood -Bloody Minded Mix-" from Coll:Set (2006)

5/5. After a year of adding a few D'espairsRay songs into The Sphere playlists, I'm finally enjoying this band's material, including this lovely remix.

Mechina - "Reclamation of Mortal Nature" from Tyrannical Resurrection (2007)

4.5/5. Some songs from Mechina's debut The Assembly of Tyrants were re-recorded for this EP Tyrannical Resurrection. This band can sound killer even at a time before adding a bombastic truckload of symphonics and female vocals to their subsequent releases.

Sybreed - "Hightech Versus Lowlife" from God is an Automaton (2012)

4/5. The intro and the midsection sound so brutal as part of the cyber/industrial metal greatness.

Neurotech - "Blue Screen Planet (Part II Revelation)" from Blue Screen Planet (2011)

4.5/5. Most metalheads and more upbeat music listeners can't go past the first half of this serene Hans Zimmer-like composition, but I can! It's amazing how magical this piece sounds as it transports you out of the harsh reality of Earth into the astral plane. It works well with the video game No Man's Sky. So instead of unleashing metal in maximum power, let the cool ambience move you into this different dimension. By the 5th minute, you'll already be one with the multiverse.

Turmion Kätilöt - "To Be Contiuned, Kohtaus 3" from Dance Panique (2017)

5/5. Then after waking up from that universal dream, it's time to party with this incredible finale that's much better than the first two "To Be Continued" acts, sounding more like a real song or epic. Nothing bad about that one at all!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the first half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Malevolence - "Malicious Intent" from Malicious Intent (2022)

3.5/5. Let's start with good beatdown fire, filled with MALICIOUS INTENT.

Hatebreed - "Instinctive (Slaughterlust)" from Weight of the False Self (2020)

4/5. If Trivium could rip the heart from your hate, Hatebreed does just that then keeps stomping the heart hard while your hate bleeds to death. This is f***ing brutal old-school-inspired metalcore that would keep your wild bullhorns up.

Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas - "The Stronger, the Further You'll Be" from Hypertoughness (2019)

4.5/5. I totally agree with that song title, since I've been gaining a lot of strength in my metal journey. Sometimes metal isn't always about soloing but rather about Solo Leveling. Get it? The lyrics are quite amazing and perfect for gaming. Level up!

As I Lay Dying - "An Ocean Between Us" from An Ocean Between Us (2007)

5/5. Horns up to the massive melodic metalcore fire from this killer highlight!

Thrown - "New Low" from EXTENDED PAIN (2022)

4.5/5. I haven't heard of this band until just recently. That outro riff is heavy gold!

Half Me - "Ex Negativo" from Soma (2023)

4.5/5. That's a lot of Thrown for me to consume, with this song featuring Thrown vocalist Marcus Lundqvist. An absolutely heavy banger! This is basically Alpha Wolf gone Periphery, especially in the breakdown halfway through filled with raw anger. Not much has changed in between singles, and that's a good thing.

Imminence - "Continuum" from Continuum (2024)

5/5. The perfection of Imminence's new singles continues, this one sounding both brutal and beautiful. Like f***ing beyond beautiful!

Alleviate - "Within Worlds" from Within Worlds (2024)

4.5/5. Perhaps the heaviest song in the playlist so far! And I'm talking about raging metalcore violence.

HEAVENSGATE - "SHE MOVES LIKE THUNDER" from AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE (2023)

4/5. If you take Loathe's sound and replace the shoegaze elements with the brutality of Sworn In, you have a f***ing heavy banger in this song. Impressive hellfire in the instrumentation that never disappoints! You can hear the sick p*ssed-off attitude. Though it should be noted that there's already a heavy metal band called Heaven's Gate.

VENUES - "Godspeed, Goodbye" from Godspeed, Goodbye (2024)

3.5/5. Escape the depression and experience the upbeat melody. I enjoy the chorus and how it gets a heavy twist in the end of the final one.

xNOMADx - "On Skylines of Embers" from On Skylines of Embers E.P. (2023)

3/5. A decent track with melodic heavy riffing and vicious vocal fury, but not enough to make highlight territory.

Nik Nocturnal, Victor Borba - "Soul Eternal" from How to Metal, Vol. 1 (2023)

3.5/5. A pretty cool take on Bring Me the Horizon and all of their different eras, though the structural skeleton seems to come from "Shadow Moses". Victor Borba (who also sings that Devil May Cry "Bury the Light" song) does an impressive job vocally impersonating Oliver Sykes. TAKE MY SOUL ETERNAL!!!

Currents - "Monsters" from The Way It Ends (2020)

4/5. I like this one, but something's a little off that seems to ruin it slightly.

Fit for a King - "Pissed Off" from Deathgrip (2016)

4.5/5. "Guns firing into masses... Building burning, SOCIETY COLLAPSES!" Is that a parody of a lyric from Black Sabbath's "War Pigs"? Either way, it can't beat the final f***ing brutal growl at the end.

Underoath - "Paper Lung" from Ø (Disambiguation) (2010)

5/5. This one sounds a little more alternative than the rest, but like those other two Underoath music videos ("Writing on the Walls", "In Division"), this one is also what ignited a slight spark of interest in Underoath that didn't fully began until when a different song from the band was used in a TheOdd1sOut video. This is closer to a sludgy metalcore mix a bit like early He is Legend, especially in the intense last minute. I ain't sorry when I say this is much better than their recent pop rock sh*t.

Amaranthe - "Digital World" from Massive Addictive (2014)

4.5/5. This more intellectual track deals with society living more via digital devices instead of physically socializing people. This is yet another song fitting well with both the music and the current ongoing pandemic. You can party to that song alone at home!

Bullet for My Valentine - "Alone" from Fever (2010)

5/5. This one starts with massive guitar tapping over orchestral synths and chord sequence, a nearly similar starting structure to "Your Betrayal", but sounds neo-classical. The synth-strings continue through the verse and chorus in catchy occasion. The guitar solos start with simple melodies transposed to E minor (key changes are rare for BFMV) before modulating back to D minor in time for the final chorus and a crashing finale like no other. The intro plays again in the outro slowing down to crawling before an epic collapse similar to a film or album ending. Yeah, that song would fit better as the closing track, but at least it brings us to the second half of the playlist, length-wise.

Convictions - "Stigmata" from Stigmata (2021)

4.5/5. "I won't deny my father's crown! SO YOU CAN CRUCIFY ME UPSIDE DOWN!!!!" One of the most aggressively pleasant lyrics I've heard in a Christian metal song.

Converge - "Heartless" from You Fail Me (2004)

4/5. Definitely an adjective that I would describe song #6. It's as great as many the other songs here. The song has some of the melody from the previous few tracks here while still containing heavy amounts of heaviness. The ability to combine melody and brutality is what makes Converge so great.

Iwrestledabearonce - "Still Jolly After All These Years" from Iwrestledabearonce (2007)

4.5/5. The first 15 seconds sound like a strange alien drug trip before that intro gets f***ed apart by the mathcore chaos. I love the melodic bridge that starts near the one-minute mark. Then after the last bit of chaos, the intro is repeated again as the outro.

Botch - "Spitting Black" from American Nervoso (1998)

4/5. That first line "It won't happen again, not for the hundredth time" seems fitting because this song's uniqueness makes sure nothing gets repeated for the hundredth time. The uniqueness is helped out by Knudson's guitar versatility going all over the place and constantly changing like when you're repeatedly switching weapons in your arsenal in one of those shooting video games like DOOM.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Gold Teeth on a Bum" from Option Paralysis (2010)

4.5/5. This one has some moments that can make a nice action-heist movie soundtrack, while bringing together a once-hated mix of metal and pop.

Invent Animate - "Elysium" from Heavener (2023)

5/5. Such godly vocals to go with the glorious instrumentation!

Ice Nine Kills - "Someone Like You" from The Predator (2013)

4.5/5. When I first came across this Adele cover, I thought it would be laughable, but it's highly enjoyable.

Trivium - "The Ones We Leave Behind" from What the Dead Men Say (2020)

5/5. An epic closer that keeps the intensity while having incredible melody. Apparently, this song gives a powerful message that takes on a whole meaning of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, thereby giving us a great song to fit in as we're restricted by this global maelstrom of sickness. Everything the band did in this album is nicely compiled into this furious blend of heavy and melodic, along with some of the hardest riffing in their career. Absolute metal glory!! Though the playlist isn't over yet...

The Acacia Strain - "Observer" from Coma Witch (2014)

5/5. You may have been wondering where the h*ll the deathcore section of this playlist has been all this time. Well this 27-minute epic perfectly covers both deathcore and downtempo deathcore, with over a quarter of its length containing some of the slowest, most doomy deathcore I've heard, perfect for its downtempo counterpart. Yeah, I actually think downtempo deathcore has potential in these playlists despite being just one of RYM's ridiculous desperate attempts in creating a subgenre and not having enough releases to qualify in Metal Academy anyway. Apparently, the epic is about a man suffering night terrors about killing his wife, but when he actually does that, he tries to flee by driving his vehicle away but crashes and ends up hospitalized in a coma. If there was a film based on this, that would be worth watching. A heavy doomy monolith!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in the first half. Anyway, I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Well this next album is gonna cause some divisive discussion...

The most essential part of the history of Rainbow involves two members. First off, there's the band's main founder, ex-Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. He and Deep Purple were touring with support from blues/hard rock band Elf. That band was known as an early one for the legendary Dio (RIP). Impressive by Dio's mighty magical voice, Blackmore invited him for a different project, one that would become a great success, resulting in Blackmore leaving Deep Purple and Dio disbanding Elf.

As you can hear in Rainbow's 1975 debut, their hard rock sound combines the blues of Elf with the early metal of Deep Purple. Yeah, I'm saying it, this album is metal! Though their metal side would be more pronounced in their second album. But with a large amount of blues/hard rock in the album as well, I say the rock/metal ratio is 50:50.

"Man on the Silver Mountain" is a classic opener, right from that memorable riff. It's the most metallic sound here while combining their heavy metal side with hard rock. And that's just the start of the variation that would occur in the rest of the album. What makes that track the fresh classic highlight is how guitar-driven it is, as Blackmore slides through his riffing and soloing. Dio's vocals help give that guitarwork more atmosphere. More of that top-notch guitar playing appears in "Self Portrait" which, I suppose you can consider a power ballad, but to me, it has more of a hard rock/proto-doom metal (doom rock?) song of early Black Sabbath. The bass can be heard greatly, and the lyrics have poetic appeal. "Black Sheep of the Family" has the nice prog-ish hard rock speed of the band whose song they were covering, Quatermass. Good, but not spectacular.

Then we have a more obscure yet underrated track in "Catch the Rainbow". This can work greatly live with the clean guitar and vocals of Ritchie and Dio, respectively. It's more effectively that way for a slow blues rock ballad. Would the band's later vocalists like Joe Lynn Turner and Ronnie Romero be able to master singing that song as greatly as Dio? Didn't think so... The more exotic hard rock/metal sound comes back in "Snake Charmer", with a serene guitar solo. "The Temple of the King" has cleaner mid-tempo blues rock that continues to have the torch carried by Dio's vocals and Blackmore's guitars.

"If You Don’t Like Rock ‘N Roll" is OK, but their attempt to push their usual hard rock back a couple decades into the rock 'n roll era just doesn't sound right for me, especially that annoying piano. They assumed right, I don't like early rock 'n roll. "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves" is a mid-tempo hard rock/heavy metal march. One more highlight is an upbeat instrumental cover of "Still I'm Sad" by The Yardbirds. They take that band's blues/hard rock sound and give it a more metallic edge.

Other than that "Rock 'N Roll" track detracted a half-star from what would've been a perfect 5-star rating for the album, the music for Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow is all in amazing performance and mood. Although it is a rock/metal album, the more metal fans might find the songs laid back. Despite that, the heavy energy is what keeps things rolling. I must admit, I wasn't expecting that kind of approach, so consider me surprised. I never usually enjoy 70s music, but the "Roots of Metal" project is going mostly smoothly for me so far. If you enjoy Dio and Deep Purple, you might get a great kick out of this as much as their second more solidifying album. Catch that rainbow!

Favorites: "Man on the Silver Mountain", "Self Portrait", "Catch the Rainbow", "Snake Charmer", "Still I'm Sad"

4.5/5

Metal enough in my opinion: yes

It's been 5 months since I last listened to Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, so I decided to give it a little more listening today. Now back then I was in the zone of checking out albums from the 70s in this project, and many of the albums I was listening to at the time sounded metal enough for my ears, and my thoughts carried over to this Rainbow album that made me think similarly to what those other bands/albums have done. Then in this recent revisit after listening to and reviewing a lot of modern metal albums, I've realized that this Rainbow album sounds nothing like any release I would consider metal. I guess listening to an album at a different time can trick my mind, huh? So I now consider Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow more of a blues/hard rock record, and my rating has massively dropped down to 2.5/5. How sad... Metal enough in my opinion: no

I've just done my review, here's its summary:

Turmion Katilot started off on a perfect note with Hoitovirhe, plummeted down in quality in Perstechnique, and in subsequent albums, started slowly climbing back up. The ascent continues with Omen X, their 10th album and second one released by Nuclear Blast. Many of the songs have trance-y industrial metal energy to get you excited with its catchy chaos from the electro synths and riff groove alongside background choirs. With lots of different riffs and keyboards for a great time, there's no doubt Omen X will get you hooked into dance-y industrial metal. Party on!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Gabriel", "Pyhä kolminaisuus", "Verestä sokea", "Sormenjälki", "Käy tanssiin", "Kuolettavia vammoja"

For fans of: PAIN, Deathstars, Rammstein

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Godflesh - "Like Rats" from Streetcleaner (1989)

5/5. Kicking off this playlist is one of the heavier well-known industrial metal tracks, a furious groove track with a noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").

Turmion Katilot - "Hengita" from Hengita (2022)

5/5. An absolute Finnish party rock anthem! The vocals are a bit drowned out, but I don't care.

Rave the Reqviem - "Ofelia" from Ofelia (2023)

4.5/5. Spotify knows what I like when searching for industrial metal. I love the idea of several vocalists at once, something already used by Amaranthe. The amazing beauty of the female vocals ("All colors have faded, but one inside you, like the eyes of the devil eternally blue") are leveled up by the background male choirs when they sing "O-Ofelia!" How f***ing g****mn serene! What's also interesting is, the ex-female vocalist before the new one is the mother of the frontman.

Dodheimsgard - "Ion Storm" (title swapped with "Carpet Bombing" on Spotify) from 666 International (1999)

4/5. This one greatly displays what its original album is about; an industrial beat and shouting that leads into black metal riffing. Industrial black metal really takes time to sink in, and it can sink in well for those who have black metal in their passion.

Eisbrecher - "Liebe Macht Monster" from Liebe Macht Monster (2021)

3.5/5. Some nice well-done lyrics despite being all in German. Next!

Rob Zombie - "Demonoid Phenomenon" from Hellbilly Deluxe (1998)

4/5. This one prevails in dark anarchy.

Static-X - "Black Star" from Project: Regeneration Vol. 2 (2024)

4.5/5. The project continues greatly. RIP Wayne Static.

Mnemic - "Deathbox" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004)

5/5. This single has tons of madness to be injected in your mind and soul, especially in the AM3D technology.

Red Harvest - "Cybernaut" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002)

4.5/5. REALITY IS BORING! Escape into the industrial fantasy of this band!

Blood From the Soul - "Natures Hole" from To Spite the Gland That Breeds (1994)

4/5. Sludgy hardcore industrial metal. Enough said!

Killing Joke - "Whiteout" from Pandemonium (1994)

4/5. Then we return to the heavier chaos with the kind of energy I needed to make sure I don't get bored to death at some points.

Fear Factory - "Cloning Technology" from Remanufacture – Cloning Technology (1997)

4.5/5. The Remanufacture remixes are quite killer, though they don't do the exact same justice as the originals. Industrial remixes can sometimes kick f***ing a**. "I DON'T WANT TO LIVE THAT WAY!"

In This Moment - "We Will Rock You" from Mother (2020)

5/5. This one lights up the fire as an epic cover of the Queen hit, featuring Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) and Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless). F*** yeah, that's the female-powered anthem we need alongside Evanescence's "Use My Voice"!

Ghostemane - "Convoluted" from Fear Network II (2021)

4.5/5. This is f***ing one of those weird yet underrated songs. We really need more songs like this that aren't as bare industrial as Front Line Assembly or Skinny Puppy.

Realize - "Crest Dispersal" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

4/5. Things get a bit weirder while still enjoyable to some degree.

White Zombie - "Blood, Milk and Sky (Miss September Mix)" from Supersexy Swingin' Sounds (1996)

3.5/5. Basically one of my favorite songs from Astro-Creep 2000 given a sexier remix treatment by P.M. Dawn. RIP Prince Be

Raubtier - "En hjältes väg" from Skriet Från Vildmarken (2010)

3/5. Sabaton would make a cover of this song, and that's actually more worth listening to than the original.

Emigrate - "This is What" from Emigrate (2007)

3.5/5. This is WHAT?! This is a cool song from this Rammstein side-project, that's what!

The Mad Capsule Markets - "Let It Rip -Download From Joujouka" from CiSTm K0nFLiqT (2004)

4/5. 3, 2, 1! Let the techno-industrial metal rip!

Lord of the Lost - "The Heart is a Traitor" from Judas (2021)

3.5/5. G****mn these driving drums, they're so good!

Khost - "Iversion" from Corrosive Shroud (2015)

3/5. A bit too drone-ish there. Let's move on...

P.H.O.B.O.S. - "Gregarious" from Tectonics (2005)

3.5/5. Same with this one, but with a more brain-melting blend of heaviness and melody.

Sybreed - "Ex Inferis" from Antares (2007)

4/5. A Sybreed song ending up on the radio of a movie/video game soundtrack would be interesting. Think HALO or Red Alert.

Neurotech - "The Halcyon Symphony" from Symphonies (2016)

4.5/5. Neurotech's symphonies can take your soul through a galactic adventure. Wulf knows how to master the art of symphonies as greatly as Hans Zimmer, and possibly also Mozart and Bach, while blending the orchestral arrangements with his usual cyber metal. It's impressive how well your creativity can take you when composing such a piece. This should really be more popular, seriously! The speaker frequency would be greatly enhanced with its intricacy and drama. F***ing outstanding!

Gothminister - "Somewhere in Time" from The Other Side (2017)

5/5. After two instrumentals (one short and one long), it all comes down to something so spooky, and I'm just talking about the riffing and whispered baritone vocals. It's actually a melodic symphonic closer to this dark industrial metal journey.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the second half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Before I Turn - "Beginning My Descent to Hell" from The Devil Exists (2024)

4.5/5. Continuing from last month's playlist, the Hellfire spreads all over the land and everyone and everything falls. This track almost reminds me of Mechina's "Tyrannos" in the symphonic-ish metalcore instrumentation.

Sonic Syndicate - "Aftermath" from Only Inhuman (2007)

5/5. Then we head into the aftermath. I love this song, and I can't believe I wasn't fully interested in this band until just a few months ago.

As Blood Runs Black - "In Dying Days" from Allegiance (2006)

5/5. Some more melodic awesomeness, this time diving into a bit of deathcore and giving me a reason to enjoy that subgenre. "BRING THE MOTHERF***IN' RUCKUS!"

War of Ages - "The Awakening" from Fire From the Tomb (2007)

5/5. This is the only song from this album that is a new song instead of re-recorded from the band's 2005 self-titled debut, and it was re-recorded for their next album Arise and Conquer. Do I enjoy this song? H*ll yes!

In This Moment - "This Moment" from Beautiful Tragedy (2007)

4.5/5. This one can greatly work as this band's theme song, as least in this early era. It summarizes harsh vocals harmonizing the cleans and blending Swedish melodeath with metalcore breakdowns in this upbeat tune.

The Amity Affliction - "Pittsburgh" from Let the Ocean Take Me (2014)

5/5. I'm really thankful about finding this band via music videos for this song and "The Weigh Down". I really am!

Malevolence - "Higher Place" from Malicious Intent (2022)

4.5/5. That's right, a f***ing metalcore ballad! And one you can definitely sway your phone light to back and forth.

VENUES - "Unspoken Words" from Unspoken Words (2024)

4/5. Unspoken words are what you need to build up strength against toxic situations and become more mentally healthy. This is quite a catchy emotional banger, and almost like Lacuna Coil would sound like if they've expanded their metalcore influences.

Thrown - "Backfire" from Backfire (2024)

3.5/5. If Thrown decide to make their own album, it would just be like 8 songs in 12 minutes. And this one's breakdown at the end goes down HARD.

Acres, Silent Planet - "Nothing." from Burning Throne (2023)

4/5. A great song featuring Garrett Russell of Silent Planet. His screams are addictive and never a disappointment. They really add heaviness to the beautiful colors. I almost feel like crying. The heaviness in the song builds up, leading up to that killer breakdown. The drums, guitars, and bass stand together in unison to guide the vocals. A d*mn powerful song with different aspects of Bad Omens, Royal Blood, and Devin Townsend all in one.

One Morning Left - "Emerald Dragon" from Emerald Dragon (2024)

4.5/5. This band and Blessed by a Broken Heart know how to blend metalcore with 80s synths and a bit of the power metal of DragonForce. Jake Luhrs of August Burns Red conquers this fun banger with his screamed vocals. Their glam-ish aspects stand out quite a bit. You never really hear them in metalcore frequently.

Miss May I - "Gone" from Rise of the Lion (2014)

5/5. One of the best songs I've heard from this band! The screaming and singing make a perfect contrast with each other.

Unearth - "Zombie Autopilot" from The Oncoming Storm (2004)

5/5. This one totally rules! The extreme action starts with an awesome melodic riff and dueling leads. The band really shines there, giving them the fame they deserve! As if the song title doesn't tribute to In Flames enough, the song soars with an amazing soaring duel solo that the band was missing out in their debut. However, if there are a couple very small flaws to point out, they would be the spoken section ("all days are lost") and the overused breakdowns breaking part of the melodic flow. Remove those small flaws and that's an awesome extreme metalcore song!

Drown in Sulphur - "Eclipse of the Sun of Eden" from Dark Secrets of the Soul (2024)

4.5/5. A crushing modern blackened riff commences in this track with spectacular growling vocals.

Osiah - "Street Justice" from Terror Firma (2016)

4/5. When it comes to brutal deathcore, there's bound to be a face-melting blast break like that at the one and a half minute mark, followed then by an explosive breakdown less than 30 seconds later.

Monasteries - "Dreadwaste" from The Empty Black (2015)

4/5. Early Lamb of God gone f***ing brutal deathcore. Enough said!

Humanity's Last Breath - "Human Swarm" from Humanity's Last Breath (2013)

4.5/5. You can't go wrong with brutality in deathcore, that's what most of the subgenre is made of. They know how to bust sh*t hard. After a spoken line of "We stop the wind from blowing", then comes a f***ing massive breakdown near the 3-minute mark. A nice surprise for the more extreme 'core listeners. Practically heavier than all that's heavy! Quite hard and evil for the moshpit.

Deadguy - "Nine Stitches" from Fixation on a Co-Worker (1995)

5/5. This early mathcore highlight has the kind of bridge you wish to have in music class, with as many time changes as The Dillinger Escape Plan can have, enough to induce f***ing confused headbanging.

Circuit Circuit - "I Dream the World Awake" from Body Songs (2023)

4.5/5. This one opens with a guitar riff loop before vocals crash in. Then the guitar halts for a bit of drum tapping before exploding into total riff noise. The riffing basically mashes together the early 2000s eras of Converge and Linkin Park.

Great Falls - "Born As An Argument" from Objects Without Pain (2023)

4/5. This song is from a sludge metal band and album. I've given it some listening, and I agree with Daniel that it has the sludgy mathcore sound of 2000s Converge and Gaza. And it sound quite killer.

Car Bomb - "The Sentinel" from w^w^^w^w (2012)

4.5/5. This one shows the drumming action pummeling over complex riffing and bass strokes.

Zao - "Xenophobe" from The Well-Intentioned Virus (2016)

5/5. The vocals by Dan Weyandt are quite haunting. I'm glad this band is still alive along with fellow metalcore forerunners Converge. And they still have the glory from their earlier albums like Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest.

Invent Animate - "Indigo" from Stillworld (2016)

4.5/5. Ex-vocalist Ben English has the heart of a f***ing wolf. A metalcore wolf!

HEAVENSGATE - "GINSICK" from AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE (2023)

4/5. I'm proud of how well the band can put some f***ing massive great sh*t. Over a minute in is when they get more emotional while staying brutal.

Feed the Addiction - "Thorn" from Rebirth (2023)

3.5/5. The metalcore sound of Volumes can go quite big in this song. You can pretty much travel through space with this ambient deathly metalcore sound. It's almost a solid sequel to that Before I Turn song at the start of this playlist. The f***ing heavy breakdown is worth jamming to as all the members break through with their instruments.

Sail's End - "Wishful Thinking" from Live and Die (2023)

4/5. Another song with Before I Turn vibes! The cleans and screams are amazing, fitting well with the production. And that breakdown at the last minute is f***ing monstrous.

Architects - "Doomsday" from Holy Hell (2018)

4.5/5. A smooth cool example of Architects sound after the passing of guitarist Tom Searle (RIP). Soft verses make a brilliant contrast with the soaring chorus.

Trivium - "The Phalanx" from In the Court of the Dragon (2021)

5/5. The triumphant closer of Trivium's latest album starts with grand intro riffing before a mid-tempo verse that starts building up speed when Heafy starts his usual screaming. Strings return to prominence again in the pre-chorus before the chorus of heroic glory. This epic pretty much summarizes everything they've had in the album, with sublime soloing by Corey Beaulieu. Drummer Alex Bent really keeps his pace with the riffs and elevating them. The song's lyrical theme of fighting demons fit the song's music video like a glove, and that video is a collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios based on the Elder Scrolls Online. And to cap it all off beautifully is an ultra-epic two-minute outro as Matt's vocals lead the band and the one-man orchestra to victory, until next time...

For the Fallen Dreams - "Through the Looking Glass" from Changes (2008)

5/5. Actually, there's still the last bit of the metalcore war in this awesome 6-minute epic. The one-minute intro is beautiful, but not as much as the final two minutes of epic glory, concluding the song and the album with synthesized strings that fade into a solitary snare drum, as the war ends and the surviving soldiers march home...

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in a couple places. Anyway, I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

Whenever there's experimentation, their results are often mixed reactions from many critics. The negative reception is due to those changes being suddenly different from the sound they're used to, whereas bands like Voivod take things slowly when gradually changing their sound for a fresh complex result. And on that same year, Metallica also released a more progressive thrash metal album before making their abrupt switch to the heavy/alternative metal that was received negatively. For Dimension Hatröss, only a few traces of thrash remain, those traces being just the fast thrashy tempos. Those tempos are dominated by all its changes every few measures. The band can go straight-on progressive without making a 20-minute epic, with many styles and influences all in dexterous textures in just an under 5-minute track. Some of the jazz influences come from the otherworldly diminished chords of Piggy (Denis D'Amour) (RIP). Their progressive sound would be fully solidified in their next album Nothingface. Their thrash was in the past, but their progressive metal would come in that's out of this world!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Chaosmöngers", "Technocratic Manipulators", "Macrosolutions to Megaproblems", "Brain Scan", "Batman Theme" (bonus track)

For fans of: Watchtower, and the early 90s eras of Anacrusis and Coroner

These two nominations have been posted in the Hall of Judgement:

https://metal.academy/hall/464

https://metal.academy/hall/465

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/463

This nomination has been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/462

I gave a review of this album last year, but I was not impressed. In This Moment were one of the fringe metalcore bands that I listened to during high school and starting into my post-secondary. I remember Maria Brink's distinctive vocal timbre in relation to another Century Media girl: Christina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil, and how much more expressive she was. Through the 2010s, this bands songwriting flailed out of control, but was still tolerable thanks to Maria's vocals. But on Godmode, In This Moment and their producers did everything in their power to remove that identity from the equation. The instrumentals are tinny and compressed to hell and back, and the vocals are just so uninspired. There is no dynamic growth or development here and it leaves the whole thing feeling flat. 

It's a shame because there are melodic motifs that sound decent, but it's hard to focus on when all I can hear is the lead pipe snare drum and whiny guitar timbre. A production closer to 3TEETH would have worked wonders, and Maria would have been able to express herself more, but as it is, Godmode is kind of a mess.

2/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Deathstars - "Chertograd" from Night Electric Night (2009)

5/5. Kicking off this playlist is this song from one of the best bands of cyber/industrial metal. It is an epic beautiful start to another amazing Deathstars album that is Night Electric Night. Chertograd is Russian for "Cursed Town". The female singing sounds serene, but we don't know who performs it.

Mechina - "Xenon" from Xenon (2014)

4.5/5. F***ing underrated epic cinematic cyber metal to love! You can just imagine travelling through lightyears of space and centuries (even millennia) of time.

Strapping Young Lad - "Skeksis" from Alien (2005)

5/5. This brutal track is where you can hear Gene Hoglan's amazing drumming that might've inspired the more metal side of Protest the Hero. The drumming is filled with punishment, no remorse. Finally, the vocals kick in that are amazing as always, along with fast riffs and neat keyboards all over.

Godflesh – "Nihil" from Cold World E.P. (1991)

5/5. One of the best Godflesh songs to strike you with fear and pleasure. Adding to the creepy bleakness is this track being featured in the 1995 film Hideaway. The scene that has that song is a good reason not to sh*t on that poor film. Justin Broadrick is quite a beast when it comes to performing guitars and vocals. With the usual feeling of dread, I both understand and don't understand why their music hasn't ended up any more film soundtracks.

HEALTH - "SICKO [Feat. GODFLESH]" from RAT WARS (2023)

4.5/5. This one follows as another highlight, sampling Godflesh's "Like Rats", specifically its noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").

Ministry - "Goddamn White Trash" from Goddamn White Trash (2023)

4/5. A pretty great single for Ministry's upcoming possible final release Hopium for the Masses. Clearly they took some aspects from Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie after being those artists' opening act.

Lock the Basement - "Feed Our Lie" from Feed Our Lie (2020)

3.5/5. A creative banger without ever having to do mathy djent.

Fear Factory - "Industrial Discipline" from Mechanize (2010)

4/5. This one blasts through with the band's earlier deathly industrial metal. It ends with a cool outro that just stops abruptly. It's a small issue, but quite great nonetheless.

Lord of the Lost - "Destruction Manual" from Blood & Glitter (2022)

3.5/5. Some catchy industrial dance metal there. Enough said!

Gothminister - "Devil" from Gothic Electronic Anthems (2003)

4/5. This one is slightly darker than the other single from Gothminister's debut, "Angel", adding to the "Devil vs. Angel" motive.

Mnemic - "Jack Vegas" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004)

4.5/5. More personality is included in this track, including the dialogue performed by Michael Bøgballe in multiple vocal styles.

Sybreed - "In the Cold Light" from The Pulse of Awakening (2009)

4/5. Who knew a depressive power ballad can fit so f***ing well in industrial/cyber metal? It's suitable for suffering in the despair of the bleak pandemic. The heavy final minute is so beautiful. Think a band like PAIN can do something like that?

Nailbomb - "Cockroaches" from Point Blank (1994)

4.5/5. This one stands out as another favorite, having some of the highest quality in its original album.

Pitchshifter - "Hangar 84" from Infotainment? (1996)

4/5. When you hear what sounds like drum 'n' bass with lots of audio samples, you know that's when Pitchshifter was moving out of their heavier Godflesh-infused sound.

Dødheimsgard - "Traces of Reality" from Satanic Art (1998)

4.5/5. Black metal is often filled with satanic chaos, and as amazing as this one sounds (because it's also close to industrial metal), it's not something I would want to have long-term if I don't want my angelic purity to be TOUCHED BY THE DEVILISH ONE (audio sample from Twin Peaks). Still this is pure f***ing chaos that shows how industrial metal can blend well black metal rather than electro-dance. And this EP is much different from the psychedelic avant-prog metal sound of A Umbra Omega. The beasts of the North are alive, not for the faint of heart.

Static-X - "Otsego Placebo" from Project Regeneration Vol. 1 (2020)

4/5. A pretty great single as part of the first half of the Project Regeneration duo of albums in memory of Wayne Static. Whether or not Xer0 really is Edsel Dope, he knows how to respectfully resurrect Wayne's vocal power. The audio samples are apparently from Total Recall.

Emigrate - "Get Down" Silent So Long (2014)

3.5/5. Hot lyrics and hot vocals from the song's guest vocalist Peaches. The killer heaviness doesn't crash in until literally the last minute.

N.K.V.D. - "Sloboda" from Totalitarian Industrial Oppression (2016)

3/5. Some decent Celtic Frost gone industrial vibes while subtly referencing infamous World War II leaders.

Uniform - "Delco" from Shame (2020)

3.5/5. Pretty solid music here, a bit like a blend of Ministry, Dope, and to a lesser extent, Deftones. "YOU ARE WHAT YOU'VE DONE, YOU ARE WHAT'S BEEN DONE TO YOU!"

2 Times Terror - "Vielä joskus" from Equals One Sudden Death (2010)

4/5. 2 Times Terror was a one-off side-project by MC Raaka Pee of Turmion Katilot, this project having more Rammstein vibes. I probably would love this track more if the lyrics were in English and they did not have the bridge with the baby noises before the final chorus.

KMFDM - "Take'm Out" from Blitz (2009)

3.5/5. Another industrial rock/metal track heavily covered in audio samples. Take it or lose it!

Autarkh - "Cyclic Terror" from Form in Motion (2021)

4/5. Holy sh*t, this is quite g****mn heavy! But I've heard better.

Eisbrecher - "Im Guten Im Bösen" from Liebe Macht Monster (2021)

3.5/5. Eisbrecher knows how to get their sound going in an addictive direction. It's a pity I can't really get the NDH appeal.

OOMPH! - "Ein Kleines Bisschen Glück" from Richter Und Henker (2023)

3/5. Oomph! is still going smoothly after their replacing longtime member Dero Goi with a different vocalist. I still can't get the NDH appeal, but this is still a decent song to conclude another solid Sphere playlist.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the second half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Brojob - "Into the Hellfire (Kris Kringle Special)" from A Very Deathcore Christmas With Brojob 2 (2023)

4.5/5. Beginning this playlist is Brojob's brutal humorous Christmas parody of Lorna Shore's breakthrough hit "To the Hellfire". And HOLY SH*T, it hits f***ing hard! Will Ramos should definitely react to this, especially during the final demonic shrieking. I still prefer the original through.

Imminence - "Heaven Shall Burn" from Heaven Shall Burn (2023)

5/5. Honestly another godly piece of metalcore to enjoy! I need more of this band.

After the Burial - "Behold the Crown" from Evergreen (2019)

4.5/5. After the Hellfire has burnt Heaven, the Lord's crown still stands. When that awesome djenty harmonic riff strikes after, you know some brutal sh*t is going down on you. This even has some recent Trivium vibes. F***ing killer!

The Amity Affliction - "It's Hell Down Here" from Not Without My Ghosts (2023)

5/5. The chaos of Hell spreads into Earth, especially during the pandemic, and you wonder if there will ever be Heaven on Earth. F***ing thumbs up for this song!

Like Moths to Flames - "Fluorescent White" from No Eternity in Gold (2020)

5/5. This band and Fit for a King know how to write lyrics about personal struggles, with this song being about vocalist Chris Roetter's wife battling an auto-immune disease, and the "fluorescent white" referencing the lights in the hospital she is in. This fantastic original song is one of my favorites from this band. They sure know how to please their fans with their groove-ish metalcore sound that's almost as progressive as ERRA and Invent Animate. Absolutely wonderful! From the first 30 seconds, you know how technical the guitars and drums can get. They can really rock this sh*t f***ing hard with killer djent vibes.

Resolve - "Death Awaits" from Human (2023)

4.5/5. Another great banger to love. Enough said!

Underoath - "In Division" from Ø (Disambiguation) (2010)

5/5. Now this is superb! Aaron Gillespie was absent for this album in both the drums and clean vocals, but Spencer's cleans that he uses with his usual screams keep the manliness factor going. No lie, I watched the music video for this song on TV long ago (at around the same time as "Writing on the Walls") during my earlier epic metal taste, but it was until in the center between then and now when I became fully interested in this band during my current modern heavier era. While I enjoy this exciting sound, I love the band in the albums where Aaron is around, though their older stuff. This album is brilliant killer face-blasting metalcore, though it hasn't reached the epic height of Lost in the Sound of Separation but it's very close. They should definitely have more success than Tool. Christian metalcore for the win!

The Devil Wears Prada - "First Sight" from 8:18 (2013)

5/5. Another perfect metalcore song that I've seen the music video for many years ago. Mike Hranica can perform insane screams that would repel my mother who doesn't care for this extreme kind of music. Although I'm not Christian, the music and lyrics are easy to love and believe. The emotion really matches those lyrics. Truly there's nothing highly disappointing this band has done.

Emmure - "Gypsy Disco" from Hindsight (2020)

4.5/5. Frankie Palmeri knows how to let out his unsteady emotions in the anger of his music. I'm sure anyone who has been around in COVID times felt the same thing. Just don't give up on life, people. Stay alive!

Any Given Day, Annisokay - "H.A.T.E." from H.A.T.E. (2023)

4.5/5. Talk about an insane collaboration by two of my brother's current favorite metalcore bands! With that and their collaboration with Within Temptation in "Shed My Skin", Annisokay should team up with Imminence next.

Zao – "To Think of You Is to Treasure an Absent Memory" from Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest (1998)

5/5. This one has vicious drumming. That song was written in memory of a friend of the band who committed suicide. Those lyrics pay great tribute to the fallen, "When you shut your eyes and fell asleep, Dark clouds descended on the souls of the ones who held you close to their hearts."

Cave In - "The End of Our Rope is a Noose" from Until Your Heart Stops (1999)

5/5. In this 8-minute epic, there's an ambient soundscape Isis would have later, before a mid-paced blend of progressive metal and metalcore, sounding slow before a ricochet into chaos. Then we have a psychedelic stoner bridge before the nastily great heaviness rises once more.

Norma Jean - "Memphis Will Be Laid to Waste" from Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child (2002)

4.5/5. This is from Norma Jean's first album since changing out of their original name Luti-Kriss. Legendary breakdown there!

Fit for a King - "Keeping Secrets" Keeping Secrets (2024)

5/5. I'm glad to have discovered this band recently. Their Christian modern metalcore sound never disappoints!

Veil of Maya - "Red Fur" from [m]other (2023)

4.5/5. Another great sick track, especially the killer djentstep breakdown at the 2-minute mark.

Of Mice & Men - "My Understandings" from The Flood (2011)

4/5. A beautiful mellow song that can work as this playlist's intermission.

We Came as Romans - "Never Let Me Go" from Tracing Back Roots (2013)

4.5/5. RIP Kyle Pavone, a tragically fallen vocalist/keyboardist. This song is so wonderful, from the f***ing amazing intro. I'll never let go of this band's music. Those lyrics shall be fun more to sing and scream along to.

Killswitch Engage - "The Crownless King" from Atonement (2019)

5/5. Ever since Howard Jones left the band and Jesse Leach rejoined, Killswitch Engage has been bringing back some of the earlier heaviness. Chuck Billy of Testament has brought forward enough fury for this song to have potential in the DOOM soundtrack.

xNOMADx - "Acéphale" from Of Skylines and Embers (2023)

4.5/5. A sick track with otherworldly riffing and that clean/scream duet at the end, both marking this song an amazing gem.

Sonic Syndicate - "Jack of Diamonds" from Love and Other Disasters (2008)

5/5. One of the most bada** songs from this band, blending metalcore with the pure melodeath In Flames steered away from since Clayman. There are also some cool subtle keyboards, that are done a little better than Asking Alexandria at that time. The cleans and screams rule!

As I Lay Dying - "My Own Grave" from Shaped by Fire (2019)

4.5/5. Nice song from As I Lay Dying's comeback offering.

Abigail Williams - "Procession of the Aeons" from Legend (2006)

4.5/5. This one has intense speed, as guitar melodies shine over blast beat insanity. Everything's well-placed there!

Carnifex - "Infinite Night Terror" from Necromanteum (2023)

5/5. I think I just have a newfound favorite of deathcore. Carnifex is a brutal beast, especially in the drumming. The breakdown midway through is a total ripper. Man I just love this sh*t to bits!

Slaughter to Prevail - "1984" from 1984 (2022)

4.5/5. Did deathcore or even music this angry or violent even exist in the year 1984? Definitely not for the former. This song is actually about stopping violence and war, which is ironic for a band called Slaughter to Prevail. Still this is quite insane!

Whitechapel - "Without Us" from Kin (2021)

4.5/5. This one mixes clean atmosphere with stomping djenty deathcore aggression.

Converge - "Grim Heart/Black Rose" from No Heroes (2006)

5/5. If you're up for some sludgy mathcore, listen to this two-part almost 10-minute centerpiece! This epic once again proves the band's distinct brilliance in expanding their territory into epic horizons as they did with the title track of Jane Doe, while maintaining their identity to not sound like a Neurosis clone. The first part, "Grim Heart" is a song of evocative mourning performed by guest vocalist Jonah Jenkins (Only Living Witness and other bands) whose emotive vocals fit perfectly with the slow bleak march to give it a Mastodon vibe. Then at around the 6-minute mark begins the second part "Black Rose" which after calming down for a bit blasts off into rhythmic frenzy, ethereal guitar notes, and the torturous howls of Jacob Bannon. One of the most impressive Converge moments, though it can't beat the superior "Jane Doe" epic. And there's one more slow mathcore epic to come...

Rolo Tomassi - "Illuminare" from Astraea (2012)

5/5. An uplifting heart-stunning mathcore epic. The only other band that can blend screamed vocals with atmospheric melody is Architects. I'm starting to love this song and band! A unique journey through the astral plane...

I, Valiance - "Pure Misanthrope" from The Reject of Humanity (2015)

4.5/5. ...Until the Hellfire burns it down and starts to destroy everything in nothing but a f***ing heavy breakdown. Now that's the sickest way to end this playlist. A heavy banger of pure f***ing hate!

HOLY SH*T, this is probably close to the best metalcore playlist I've ever done, with every track ranging from 4.5 to 5 stars, except for one 4-star track in the middle. I sure would recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but wants to get into a great start in enjoying the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

I've done my review, here's its summary:

This perfectly equal blend of melodies, riffs, and breakdowns is what makes this underrated band so unique. The breakdowns are made beyond imagination and they would make you get on your knees and beg for more. You'll find a lot of this awesomeness if you give the album a go. The wonderous melodies and riffs would guide you through, and the brutal breakdowns touch down hard and pummeling. The lyrics are so positive and mature, and they detail a revolutionary war in a story throughout the album. I could probably write a novel based on that. This band and album was missing in my life until last year, and I would love to continue listening to Changes any time. A true masterpiece in my ongoing metalcore quest!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "New Beginnings", "Last Dying Breath", "Never Again", "Vengeance", "Through the Looking Glass"

For fans of: August Burns Red, Parkway Drive, Crystal Lake

I agree that Hellripper is enjoyable, but lacking in what I really look for in my metal nowadays and only managed a 3.5 from me. Enforced was much more up in your face and better for it, garnering a 4.0. Demoniac was still my favourite thrasher of the year however and #4 on my yearly list behind Panopticon, Convocation & Khanate.

The only real contenders for The Sphere Release of 2023 are Godflesh's "Purge" & In This Moment's "Godmode" with less than a week to go so get those ratings in.

The frontrunners for The Revolution Release of 2023 Award are August Burns Red's "Death Below", Will Haven's "VII" & Unearth's "The Wretched; The Ruinous" at the moment with less than a week to go so get those ratings in.

The frontrunner for The Infinite Release of 2023 Award are Ne Obliviscaris' "Exul', King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard's "PetroDragonic Apocalypse" & Periphery's "Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre". There's less than a week to go now so get those ratings in. 

Katatonia's "Sky Void of Stars" & Klone's "Meanwhile" are neck & neck in the race to take out The Gateway Release of the 2023 Award at the moment followed by Sleep Token's "Take Me Back To Eden". There's less than a week to go so get those ratings in guys.

Congrats Shezma. I would look at all the Infinite challenge lists, see which is likely to appeal to you most and then go through it in chronological order. I have always found that it helps in understanding the development of a genre and possible influences if you do it that way.

This nomination has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/456

I perhaps don't enjoy "666 International" quite as much as I did when Ben first brought my attention to it back fifteen years ago. I'd describe it as being an avant-garde industrial black metal release that combines the industrial black metal sound of Thorns with the avant-garde metal of Ved Buens Ende.... & throws in a little Aborym for good measure. It's certainly a very interesting record that perennially keeps you on your toes but it's also a flawed one in many ways. You see, there are just so many ideas floating around but not all of them work from a compositional sense with the outcome sounding noticeably pieced together from widely disparate parts. It also sounds to me like an intentional attempt to sound weird rather than a natural creative evolution. The black metal components are unsurprisingly my favourite sections while a couple of the piano interludes representing the weaker moments. The vocals of Thorns/Zyklon-B front man Aldrahn are certainly pretty psychotic but he also overdoes it a little bit at times & comes off like a raving madman. The production is a little inconsistent with the guitar sound being pretty thin & the electronic drums sitting further back in the mix than I would normally like with an industrial metal release. I do really enjoy the gothic rock influences though & would have liked Dødheimsgard to have explored those a little further. My favourite tracks are opener "Shiva-Interfere", the blackened "Sonar Bliss", the lovely piano interlude "Magic" & the gothic rock hidden track but none reach classic status which leaves me with a middling score overall &, even while I generally find myself enjoying the album, I can also see why I haven't felt the need to return to "666 International" or explore Dødheimsgard's subsequent material over the last decade or so.

3.5/5 

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Samael - "Exodus" from Exodus (1998)

4.5/5. A great song to start this playlist. What can I say?

Godflesh - "Post Self" from Post Self (2017)

5/5. This one opens with the band's classic sound; a pounding drum beat and simple heavy riffing. The soundscape is relaxing yet dissonant. Nothing's out of place! This cohesive sound is still doing well after all those years of experience.

Red Harvest - "Absolut Dunkel: Heit" from Cold Dark Matter (2000)

4.5/5. HOLY F***, Red harvest has gone black metal, with Fenriz of Darkthrone by their side! And things get more insane at over the one and a half minute mark.

Trust Obey - "The Soul is a Temple of Wire Carcasses" from Fear and Bullets: The Tides of Sin (2018)

4/5. Pretty great long ambient industrial metal track, though a bit draggy.

Irving Force - "Void" from Void (2020)

3.5/5. A good catchy industrial metal single, something radio listeners shouldn't chicken out from listening to.

Aesthetic Perfection - "S E X" from S E X (2021)

4/5. Aesthetic Perfection has spawned a touch of golden fire, heated by the guitar skills of Sebastian Svalland (PAIN, In Mourning).

Ludovico Technique - "Silence" from Silence (2022)

4.5/5. I'm glad to find some good discoveries on Spotify when assembling my playlists. This band's goth-ish industrial metal remains standing.

Fear Factory - "Replica" from Demanufacture (1995)

5/5. Perhaps the most famous song by the band! It's not my ultimate favorite song from the band, but its straight pace and killer chorus make that single a perfect one. It was later covered by symphonic metal band Epica. If you're not sure about that cover, don't be an Epica "Replica" replica skeptica! lol

Omega Lithium - "Kinetik" from Kinetik (2011)

5/5. This one perfectly exemplifies what its original album is made of, from the beating heart.

Deathstars - "The Perfect Cult" from The Perfect Cult (2014)

5/5. Another perfect track that you just gotta hear to believe!

Mechina - "Tyrannos" from Telesterion (2019)

4.5/5. 2019 is one of metal's greatest years in the modern era. This epic-sounding piece of cinematic classical cyber metal might help seal that deal. And the lyrics are delivered well too, "CHILDREN OF EMPYREAN, DESCENDANTS OF ACHERON".

Oblivion Machine - "Reflexion and Dust" from The Moon Ailments Anthology (2017)

4/5. High-quality cyber metal. Enough said!

Sybreed - "Revive My Wounds" from Antares (2007)

4.5/5. I haven't heard much from this band, but the beat here is so d*mn good.

Pain - "Leave Me Alone" from You Only Live Once (2011)

5/5. I just adore both PAIN's cover of this song and the original by Sonic Syndicate. This might fit well for the soundtrack of action-packed anime shows like Black Rock Shooter. Lots of incredible potential here!

In This Moment - "Everything Starts and Ends with You" from Godmode (2023)

4.5/5. In This Moment has been adopting more NIN-esque electronic influences than before. There is one person in your realm that will be your life-force, from the start to the end. Their new album Godmode brings back their earlier elements from their first 4 albums while continuing their more industrial direction. It certainly can work for a video game of heavenly universal connection. While the albums since Black Widow aren't quite the same as their earlier ones, they still have the ability to throw back.

Khost - "Last Furnace" from Buried Steel (2020)

4/5. Some early Godflesh vibes can be found in this song in a more drone-ish pace.

Diabolicum - "Chained on Demonwings" from The Grandeur of Hell (1999)

3.5/5. Industrial black metal that acts as kind of a bridge between Dodheimsgard's Satanic Art and 666 International.

Megaherz - "Kannst Du Den Himmel Sehn?" from In Teufels Namen (2023)

3/5. Seems like the band is restoring their earlier balladry, but it sounds a little too emo-ish to me.

SKYND - "Richard Ramirez" from Chapter I (2018)

4.5/5. My favorite of this SKYND EP. Skynd herself sings more naturally here, and it's quite fantastic, though I'm OK with the strange effects. Richard Ramirez was another serial killer, known as the Night Stalker.

Killing Joke - "Invocation" from Hosannas from the Basements of Hell (2006)

4/5. The music and lyrics sound f***ing supernatural here. I definitely like the beat. This was Paul Raven's last album with the band before his passing the next year, RIP. There's some ominous cello to go along with the strings. It would've been cooler if the beat was more synchronized, but it's still OK.

Unheilig - "Puppenspieler" from Puppenspiel (2008)

3.5/5. Another nice crazy song to enjoy a bit. Next!

Dodheimsgard - "21st Century Devil" from Supervillain Outcast (2007)

4/5. I'm quite obsessed with the music this band has made, even with their sound always changing. Still this can't beat 666 International. The song title is a highly possible reference to "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson, and has a similar experimental industrial metal vibe to Voivod's cover. I love the beginning synths.

Mnemic - "Within" from Sons of the System (2010)

4.5/5. This is another well-accomplished feat, where the nice melody is in engaging contrast with the heavy groove.

Gothminister - "Thriller (Extended Version)" from Happiness in Darkness (2008)

5/5. Ending this playlist is a superb cover of that Michael Jackson hit. It's clear that Brem is straining beyond his limits, but that doesn't matter. This is the extended version that's twice as long and includes part of the original narration by Vincent Price. More fitting for the October playlist as a Halloween special, but never mind.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the second half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Polaris - "Harbinger" from Fatalism (2023)

4.5/5. Starting this playlist is this track with an atmospheric intro as bassist Jake Steinhauser sings his clean vocals over building synths. Soon the drums and guitars come in, and finally the moshing riffs and vocalist Jamie Hails' screams. The perfect opening storm that should work well live!

Born of Osiris - "Torchbearer" from Torchbearer (2023)

5/5. I'd like to thank Born of Osiris for continuing their djenty metalcore journey, and I hope there will be more of their music to come. They never cease to amaze me, and I might try exercising with this song in their playlist.

Upon a Burning Body - "King of Diamonds" from Southern Hostility (2019)

4.5/5. Here's some more of this Texas band's killer groove metalcore!

Imminence - "Temptation" from Heaven in Hiding (2021)

5/5. Once again, Imminence f***ing rules with their music! My favorite part is the heavy riff at the one and a half minute mark.

Norma Jean - "If You Got It at Five, You Got It at Fifty" from Wrongdoers (2013)

4.5/5. I can't get enough of this band's f***ing moshpit-worthy music. The buildup at over the one-minute mark leading up to a breakdown gets me every time.

Half Me - "Concrete Ceiling" from Concrete Ceiling (2023)

4/5. Back again for some more noise is this band Half Me. This almost makes me think of late Betraying the Martyrs but more brutal and less symphonic, with the vocalist sounding a bit like Ben English (ex-Invent Animate), sound the most brutal with his growling in the final breakdown throughout the last 30 seconds. One h*ll of a headbanger, right from the first verse, "THE FIRST SHOT CAST WAS A F***ING DISGRACE".

Alt. - "Apep" from Abeyance (2023)

4.5/5. You can very well recognize the searing screamed vocals by Jack Bergin from Void of Vision. His guest appearance along with the glowing melody are what make this song amazing. I also love the verses in this banger. This would be another intense addition to my possible exercising playlist. And although this band is from Australia, you might end up in thinking about this sound from bands from other places like America and Europe if not for that fact. Though I prefer a bit of the earlier metalcore of bands like Underoath, and we'll get to more of that sometime later. Still these guys know how let themselves be set apart from the league.

Currents - "A Flag to Wave" from The Way It Ends (2020)

4/5. Some more sick modern metalcore. Enough said!

Annisokay - "Human" from Abyss Pt. 1 (2023)

3.5/5. This song seems to bit of a miss for me, but I love the lyrics that are nothing more than poetic.

Our Promise - "Panic Waves" from Panic Waves (2023)

4/5. Some absolute power in this one! Like d*mn, you might pray for more of this killer insanity. A bit of a similar vibe to the heavier Linkin Park there.

Emmure - "I Should Have Called Ms. Glen" from The Complete Guide to Needlework (2006)

4.5/5. Emmure's earlier material from the second half of the 2000s shows them at their best. Throughout the second minute is one of the greatest moments ever for the band. Holy sh*t, the vocal brutality is insane, in a similar vein to Carley Coma from Candiria. Emmure still have great potential in their early 2010s albums, but not the same as before then. "Won't you go for a ride? Let's drink a cerveza!!! And shed our ways..." Good stuff!

BOI WHAT - "PLAN Z" from PLAN Z (2023)

4/5. So... Plankton has his own modern metal band now. Absolutely chilling, including a powerful breakdown! Now all we need is Plankton and Karen performing a cover of Motionless in White's "Cyberhex".

Bullet for My Valentine - "Hand of Blood" from Hand of Blood (2005)

4.5/5. This one has the usual hardcore guitar riffing that stands out in the metal instrumentation. It's so great hearing the cleans and screams alternating between each other in the verses.

Abigail Williams - "The Conqueror Wyrm" from Legend (2006)

5/5. This may be the slowest track in its original EP, but it's my favorite here, having heavier bridges and a beautiful chorus. This is true emotional modern symphonic black metalcore. Nothing wrong with adding hardcore heaviness for the sake of trying something new, right?

Zao - "Fifteen Rhema" from Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest (1998)

5/5. Where would bands be like Eighteen Visions, Bleeding Through, and Bring Me the Horizon without a song like this!?

Killswitch Engage - "My Curse" from As Daylight Dies (2006)

5/5. Although I didn't become fully interested in this band until last year, this song I've actually known since 10 years prior, and I still love it! There's an alternate version for radios that have all the screams replaced by cleans, but of course, you know I would choose the original version for this playlist. F***ing awesome melodic metalcore!

As I Lay Dying - "Through Struggle" from Shadows are Security (2005)

4.5/5. Unlike other metalcore bands that I've heard of from over 10 years ago that would plant the seed for my metalcore interest that began in 2018 (Bullet for My Valentine, Killswitch Engage, Trivium), I didn't hear anything from As I Lay Dying until within a few years before today. It's just as well since if I started hearing about this band at the time of Tim Lambesis' arrest, I would've severed my ties with their music before even starting. But I'm glad to not miss out on this band's blend of beauty and brutality.

Parkway Drive - "Flesh, Bone and Weakness" from Don't Close Your Eyes (2004)

5/5. This can very be my favorite song in its original EP. Haunting bass kicks in followed by the drums. The growls and harmonic singing (the latter by then-bassist Brett "Lagg" Versteeg) work well for a melodic spice-up that might remind some of Evergreen Terrace. Awesomeness continues to be found in the catchy yet heavy breakdown, along with more of the audible bass riffing.

Trivium - "At the End of the War" from Vengeance Falls (2013)

4.5/5. This one contains worthwhile clean vocals while still keeping some screaming, with Matt Heafy's voice growing and becoming more powerful.

God Forbid - "Soul Engraved" from Gone Forever (2004)

5/5. A killer song with catchy riffs. What really helps it stand out is the clean chorus by guest member Thomas Cummings, later known as Bad Wolves vocalist Tommy Vext, and Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis performing an awesome shredding solo which unfortunately fades out when it's still great.

Killwhitneydead - "Starring Robert Downey Jr. as "The Addict"" from Inhaling the Breath of a Bullet (2002)

4.5/5. The dark disturbing atmosphere works well for the riffs and samples in this two and a half minute highlight.

PROJECT: VENGEANCE, Traitors, Nik Nocturnal - "Vessel" from Vessel (2023)

4.5/5. The vocalists of deathcore bands Spite, Infant Annihilator, Left to Suffer, Lorna Shore, and Traitors have gathered together to form an insane brutal quintet. Also stepping in is I, the Breather guitarist and YouTuber Nik Nocturnal, adding in the instrumentation. HOLY SH*T, what a f***ing powerhouse this project is!

Carnifex - "Death's Forgotten Children" from Necromanteum (2023)

5/5. However, this is much more worth checking out! Carnifex have made such an evil heavy deathcore song featuring Tom Barber (Chelsea Grin, ex-Lorna Shore). This is solid perfection that has granted me the leeway to check out more of this band.

Monasteries - "Spiralled Icon" from Ominous (2023)

4.5/5. Some more underrated deathcore heaviness, featuring the insane screaming of Ingested vocalist Jason Evans. An absolutely brutal banger like a motherf***er! It's a shame that the band split up after releasing this album Ominous, so there's no more of this devastating dissonance. Maybe one day I might be up to getting that album, if my tolerance for the more brutal side of deathcore builds up more. There's even a bit of the mathcore of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Iwrestledabearonce.

Darko US - "Come Home" from Oni (2022)

4/5. Interesting how this band added in a soft ballad-ish song to a deathcore album, but it's a beautiful way to unwind. You can think of all the pleasant past memories you have that you can never bring back, as the vocals of Dayseeker vocalist Rory Rodriguez guide you through. Beautiful!

Hopesfall - "Escape Pod for Intangibles" from The Satellite Years (2002)

4.5/5. The soft break continues with one of my favorite tracks from this album. Here they transcend through the spacey alt-rock of HUM, even featuring their vocalist Matt Talbott, and while it sounds beautiful as a one-off thing, this would sadly affect their newer stuff that's almost entirely like that. The Satellite Years and their EP No Wings to Speak of are the two releases to have their earlier spacey metalcore sound that is sadly gone from them. F***, those 4 lines are so meaningful, "I left the horizon, curled up and frozen still, the tilting of the hourglass, with all this time to kill". And while this song should've been longer, that would cause those lyrics to be a little too repetitive.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You - "Glory Kingdom" from Glory Kingdom (2009)

4/5. There's been talk about this song being Charlie Sheen, which is an interesting way to think about it.

Iwrestledabearonce - "Tastes Like Kevin Bacon" from It's All Happening (2009)

4.5/5. And this song directly references another actor in the song title! This is the kind of music that is enjoyable but hard to explain to your future kids. The final minute is one of the most impressive moments in all of metal. Some soft harp strums are heard before a sudden honking jingle from a jalopy to start a killer breakdown.

Rolo Tomassi - "Ex Luna Scientia" from Astraea (2012)

5/5. A fantastic song to love that has given me more hope in checking out this band! The members have insanely brilliant skills, almost in the same height as fellow British hardcore band Enter Shikari. The awesome spacey sound made me think about that Hopesfall song again. That soft spacey section occurs through the second third, between the heavier first third, and the final third that brings back the earlier screaming reminding me of that of Oli Sykes from Bring Me the Horizon.

Converge - "Black Cloud" from You Fail Me (2004)

5/5. A standout with the band's earlier aggression. The drumming by Ben Koller ranges from brutal to technical. The heavy guitars are incredible while Bannon continues his hard intense vocals shrieking incomprehensible lyrics. The lyrics are clearer during the structurally messy chorus ("Black cloud til' the end!!").

August Burns Red - "The Seventh Trumpet" from Thrill Seeker (2005)

5/5. I'm guessing they were influenced by old-school Avenged Sevenfold because of that song title. At 8 minutes, it is the longest track of this playlist, its' original album, and the band. The lyrics show the band's Christianity, written about the rapture, with metaphors about the blood moon, stars falling, and the incoming end of the world, a prime example being this lyric, "I take one last look at the moon and the stars begin to fall..." There's 5 minutes of brutal guitars and finally a melodic yet heavy passage that goes on until the end. That song is a total standout and my favorite song of its original album, an epic progressive song that sounds like something Meshuggah could've done. A perfect dramatic album ending!

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Parasitic Twins" from Option Paralysis (2010)

4.5/5. The playlist isn't actually over until this sinister closer that mixes eerie experimental soundtrack with doo-wop harmonic vocals. It may sound unsettling to some listeners, but a satisfying ending nonetheless.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in a couple places. Anyway, I recommend this to any metalcore fan and anyone who isn't into metalcore but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

With a unanimous YES 5 NO 0 vote tally thus far, I've decided to pass this Hall of Judgement nomination as it's clear that it's only going one way & I completely agree with the consensus. The database has been changed to remove the Gothic Metal genre from the release.

This nomination has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/453

This nomination has now been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/452

This nomination has just been posted in the Hall of Judgement.

https://metal.academy/hall/449

This nomination has just been posted in the Hall of Judgement Andi.

https://metal.academy/hall/447